NATURAL GAS SAFETY Natural gas safety is part of BGE’s commitment to providing safe and reliable energy. Enclosed with this month’s Smart Energy News, you’ll find a Natural Gas Safety brochure that provides details about how to live and work safely around natural gas, pipelines and facilities. Anyone can detect a natural gas leak by using sight, sound and smell. The brochure also includes a scratch and sniff feature so you can get familiar with the smell of mercaptan, a safety additive BGE puts in odorless natural gas to give it a rotten egg smell. For additional information, visit BGE.COM/NaturalGasSafety. Need to report a leak? Call 877.778.7798. news FOR BGE CUSTOMERS OCTOBER 2020 FOR SIGNS OF LEAKS: LOOK LISTEN SMELL Stay warm & save money What’s better than staying warm this winter? Saving money when you upgrade your heating system! Heating and air conditioning account for up to 50% of the energy you use at home. A properly installed and maintained heating and cooling system can reduce your energy use, improve comfort and help you save money. Visit BGESmartEnergy.com/SENHVAC to learn more about heating and cooling equipment. Meter safety is a shared responsibility Keeping your meter free of obstructions and checking the gas lines around it not only helps ensure accurate readings, but also contributes to natural gas safety. A clear area around the meter makes it possible for BGE to complete meter readings and maintenance. Today, most meters can be read remotely, but even these meters need to be kept free of obstructions. Landscaping and structures around the meter may interfere with the electronic transmission. To keep your meter accessible, make sure there is a minimum of three feet of clear space around each meter. While BGE owns and maintains the natural gas piping up to and including the gas meter, each gas customer is responsible for maintaining and monitoring all above-ground and buried pipes after the meter. If this piping is not maintained, it may corrode and leak. Be sure to periodically inspect buried gas piping located after the meter for leaks and corrosion and make any necessary repairs. Plumbers who are state-certified to work on gas piping can perform maintenance and repairs of gas fuel piping after the meter.